Liquid sealed continuous combustion engine



May 27 1969 vM. G. BolssEvAlN ET Ax. 3,446,016

LIQUID SEALED CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION ENGINE BY J. Pierre Schneebeli Attorney M. G. BolssEvAm ET A1. 3,446,016 LIQUID SEALED CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 1s, 1967 May 27, 1969 sheet 3 @f4 INVENTORS Mathew G. Boissevain BY J. Pierre Seebeli Attorney May 27, 1969 M. G. BolssEvAlN ET AL. LIQUID SEALED CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION ENGINE Sheet Filed Feb. 13, 1967l mvENToRs Malhew G. Bolssevaln Attorney J. Pierre Schneebel May 27, 1969 M. G. BolssEvAlN ET AL 3,446,016

LIQUID SEALED CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 15, 1967 sheet 4 of 4 /NNER clRcuMFEnENcE 0F OUTER Roron N SHAPED A/R SEGMENT OUTER c/RcuMFERENcE oF INNER RoroR F i g. 4

0` \\/l\`\ l/lllzll INVENToRs 'o Malhew G Boissevain Afforney '3,446,016 LIQUID SEALED CONTINUOUS COMBUSTION ENGINE Mathew G. Boissevain, 27181 Sherlock Road, Los Altos Hills, Calif. 94022, and Jean Pierre Schneebeli, 2636 Newhall St., Santa Clara, Calif. 95050 Filed Feb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 615,680 lint. Cl. F02g 3/00; F04f 11/00; F04c 19/00 U.S. Cl. 60-39.45 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Our invention relates to engines of the rotary type and particularly to engines utilizing the action of a liquid upon a rotor having a novel construction to produce useful motive power. More specifically, our invention covers a simple internal combustion engine that makes use of a generally spiral shaped rotor inside a rotating tube containing a pressurized liquid ring to transform continuously the energy of expanding gases into useful work at an output shaft. It may be described also as a hybrid between a gas turbine and a piston type internal combustion engine.

Our present invention is of the general class covered by our Patent No. 3,240,017 but is a considerable improvement upon the latter and utilizes an entirely different rotor which, among other things, eliminates the necessity for the use of complex valving mechanisms.

Summary of the invention As was the case with our previous invention, the present invention eliminates the principal problems encountered with existing engines of this class.

With gas turbines, these problems include the expense of machining the many accurately contoured blades from exotic materials capable of withstanding hot combustion gases while rotating at high r.p.m.s, the requirement of lower combustion temperatures than those theoretically attainable to prevent blade failure and the excess pumping Capacity required to provide this excess cooling air.

With piston type combustion engines, these problems include the use of many closely machined parts, such as pistons, valves and crankshaft, to provide the correct pumping action, the use of complex ignition systems in conjunction with short combustion times, requiring more expensive `fuels and resulting in incomplete combustion, and thus producing smog.

We have discovered that the above problems may be eliminated by the use of a rotor with long Spiro-helical blades, immersed in a rotating liquid ring which, due to centrifugal force, seals and pressurizes the working gases regardless of blade inaccuracies. This liquid ring also provides excellent immersion cooling of the blades, thus permitting higher combustion temperatures than those attainable in a gas turbine and as a result, higher thermodynamic efficiency.

It is therefore a primary object of our invention to provide a rotary internal combustion engine which would be simple in construction and eicient in operation.

It is another object of our invention to provide a rotary internal combustion engine which would be liquid sealed and liquid cooled utilizing the same liquid medium.

Itis a further object of our invention to provide a rotary internal combustion engine which utilizes a liquid to assist in effecting the motive power of the engine.

It is yet another object of our invention to provide an engine of the class described which would utilize a rotor of unusual novel construction which results in great simplicity and high eiiiciency.

It is iinally an object of our invention to provide an internal combustion engine of the class described which nted States Patent O would combine lightweight, reliability, simplicity, low cost, and eliiciency for the best utilization of liquid or gaseous fuel as motive power which advantages are not olfered by any other engine of this type known.

These and other objects of our invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description given in the specification, drawings, and claims which follow.

Description ofthe drawings Referring now to the drawings in which like numbers indicate like parts on the respective figures, there are seen the following:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, showing the general assembly of our invention.

FIG. 2 is a left-hand view of FIG. 1, partly in section, showing particularly the water andair intakes respectively.

FIG. 3 is a right-hand view of FIG. 1, showing exhaust, fuel intake, and ignition.

FIG. 4 is a part section C of FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relative position of rotors -1 and 2, water levels, and air segment.

FIG. 6 is an end view showing spark prongs and fuel injection nozzle.

Detailed description Referring now more specifically to FIG. 1, there is seen the eccentric inner rotor which is of generally spirohelical construction, the operation of which is set forth more fully below. This inner rotor 1 comprises two distinct parts, namely the compression section 1a and the expansion section 1b. Outer rotor 2 is mounted on frame 3 and rotates on bearings 6 and 7. Inner rotor 1 is rotatably mounted on frame 3 by means of bearings 4 and 5. Bearing holders 9 and 10 provide support and housing for bearings 4 and 6, and 5 and 7 respectively.

Output shaft =`8 shown, with a spline may form an integral part of inner rotor 1 and may be connected to any suitable load in any manner desired (not shown).

l Outer rotor 2 is equipped with left ange 11 and right flange 13 which are lfastened to the tubular body 12 by means of retaning ring fasteners 11a and 13a and O rings 11b and 13b respectively. The entire assembly is supported on housing frame 3 by means of left pedestal section 14 and right pedestal section 15 which may also be seen on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 respectively.

Compression section 1a of the inner rotor 1 is equipped with ange 16a, while expansion section 1b is equipped with flange 16h. The latter are positioned with respect to one another by means of locating pin 17 and joined by means of fasteners 20. Internal gear member 18, which may be of stainless steel or similar matreial, is positioned on the inside circumference of tubular body 12 and engages gear teeth 19 on the periphery of flanges 16a and 16. The function and operation of this element is described more fully below.

Looking now more speciiically to FIG. 2, as well as FIG. l, there is shown the air system of our invention as well as the liquid distribution system. Air enters through air inlet duct 21, thence to inlet port 22 to the interior of the engine. Water is fed in from some outside source, such as a radiator, through inlet pipe 23, thence through water inlet baille 24 equipped with varies 26 to facilitate its flow into the interior of the engine. Proper water level is insured by a water make up source which is lfed to the engine through make up pipe 25, thence through make up inlet port 25a. When the engine is in operation all the foregoing combine to produce successive air spaces or pockets between the Spiro-helical blades of rotor 1 shown at 22a through 22e and correspondingly different rotor and air interfaces in the water space 27 shown at 27a through 27e in the manner set forth in greater detail below. Air passage ports 28 in rotor section 1a communicate with cooling air conduit and jacket 29 which surrounds combustion chamber 39 and communicates with it through ports 30.

Looking now more specifically at FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, as well as FIG. l, there is seen the fuel system and the exhaust system of our invention. A hydrocarbon fuel from an outside source not shown enters the engine through inlet line 31. Electric current to supply the initial ignition required is fed into the engine through ignition connections 32a and 32b. This current flows through spark plug prong 33 to spark plug points 35. The fuel in turn ows through fuel passage 34 and thence to -fuel injection nozzle 36 wich atomizes the liquid fuel and facilitates the ignition from the spark plug in order to initially start the engine. Combustion is effected by the supply of compressed air flowing through jacket 29 previously described and into combustion chamber 39, the products of combustion escape through exhaust ports 40 from the combustion chamber and into the expansion area of the engine described below.

Referring now to FIG. 4, as well as FIG. l and FIG. 3, there is seen the expansion area of the engine. In this area there is a resultant water space 44 which is comparable to water space 27 in the compression section. The products of combustion after passing through exhuast ports 40 enter the spaces between the Spiro-helical blades of rotor section 1b and form successive gas spaces 41a through 41;,7 as shown. The Water exits around water bnie 42 and out through water outlet pipe 43 back to the radiator (not shown) or out to waste. The combined action of the rotors and the gas expansion produces successive water interfaces 45a through 45g, as is also described more fully below. The gases leave the engine through exhaust pipes 46.

Operation To understand the operation of our invention reference should be had to FIG. 5 as Well as the other figures shown. The relative action between rotors 1 and 2 are similar in many respects to that of our previous invention, Patent No. 3,240,017 with several important differences and improvements, as will be evident below. To illustrate the operation of our invention We describe a specific embodiment which we have produced, but, of course, our invention is not limited to tbe description here given.

Before starting, the engines liquid level is at about the height of the inner rotor 1, or about 9 inches high in the embodiment shown. An electric starter (not shown) rotates the inner rotor by applying torque to the output shaft 8 of the inner rotor. The gear teeth 19 of the central flange on the inner rotor 16 engage the internal ring gear 18 inside the outer rotor. When both the inner and outer rotor reach a rotary speed of a few hundred r.p.m., (about 600 to 500 r.p.m. respectively in the embodiment shown) excess liquid passes through makeup passage a into a reservoir (not shown) until the liquid ring has an inner radius of about 3 inches. This 3 inch radius is equal to the radius of fixed bafiie 24 which is attached to bearing holder 9 and to frame 3.

This liquid level is self-regulating as long as the engine rotates because, if the liquid level becomes less than 3 inches, the fixed baffle 24 will protrude into the liquid ring, and higher liquid pressures, caused by centrifugal force on the liquid, will force the liquid into the gravity reservoir, the kinetic energy of the rotating liquid being transformed into static pressure. If the liquid level goes beyond the 3 inch radius for any reason such as evaporation, gravity ow `from the reservoir will force makeup liquid through makeup passage 25a, bringing the water level back to the 3 inch radius level.

At the other end of the engine the fixed bafiie 42 has a radius of about 33/8 inches, thus causing its periphery to protrude into the `water ring. The pressure gradient in the water ring will cause the liquid to escape around the baffle 42 and out through pipe 43. This pipe may be connected to an unvented radiator (not shown). The liquid is thus forced trough the radiator and then through pipe 25 past curved vanes 26 and back into the engine.

Thus the pressure gradient in the rotating liquid ring, in conjunction with unequal diameter baie plates 24 and 42, causes liquid circulation through the radiator. Baffie plate 42 has curved vanes, opposite in direction to those shown at section A, FIG. 2. Vanes are curved to reduce ow losses to and from the rotating liquid ring into and out of the stationary bafe plates by causing the flow to merge with the liquid ring flow.

The inner rotor which forms an important part of our invention, consists of two tapered sections 1a and 1b with variable pitch helix blades generally referred to as spirohelicals. The left section 1a is the compressor or air side. It has a single helix blade with a pitch of about 3 inches in the first two blades and gradually decreases so that the last two blades have about one-quarter of the 3 inch pitch of the first two blades. The inner rotor is offset from the outer rotor by about .900 inch in the embodiment shown. The inner rotor radius is dimensioned to protrude about 1 quarter inch into the 3 inch water ring at the bottom, and the outside diameter of the helix is dimensioned to protrude about 1/2 inch into the 3 inch radius water ring at the top. This is seen on FIG. 5.

Thus, a moon-shaped air segment is connected with the intake passage 22 when the helix is in the position shown. This segment follows the helix between the first two blades and comes to a point where the inner rotor protrudes through the liquid ring. As the inner rotor continues to rotate (counterclockwise, facing the input shaft), this moon-shaped air segment is locked into the liquid ring and compressed, because of the decreasing pitch of the spiral blades. This increased air pressure forces the liquid level outwards, as shown. (Since the pressure gradient of the liquid ring varies in proportion to the engine r.p.m. squared, this water level displacement will vary with r.p.m., and thus the compression ratio will increase with increasing rpm.)

The air thus compressed enters between the last blade and ange 16a. In a groove in the root of the rotor the air passing ports 28 spaced at about 30 degree intervals, connect with conduit 29 and permit the compressed air to enter around the outside of combustion chamber 39 which may be of stainless steel, thus cooling the combustion chamber.

Some of this compressed air enters in the inlet port 30 at the left side of the combustion chamber 39. Most of the air however, enters the chamber through the annulus 38 and thus into the fuel spray formed by fuel injector nozzle 36.

Looking now at the expansion area in which useful work is produced by the expansion of the gases of combustion and the combined action of the inner rotor section 1b and the water space 44, as affected by the relative rotative action of two rotors, there is seen that the Spiro-helix of member 1b has a variable pitch which increases in magnitude as we go from left to right. The gases of combustion when they leave combustion chamber 39 through exhaust ports 40 enter gas space 41a. Their effect on inner rotor 1b is to cause its rotation and the resultant expansion of the gases as they move successively around the helix into spaces having a larger volume. The spaces between flights or turns of the helix are, of course, sealed off by the varying water interface locations a through 45g as described above. Useful work is thus produced by the expansion of the gases as they move along the path of increasing pitch of the helix of rotor 1b. The gases finally reach the exhaust pipes 46 from where they may be exhausted to the atmosphere.

Considering the overall pressure distribution in the embodiment shown and described above, we have found that at 400 r.p.m. starting with an initial pressure of approximately 14 pounds per square inch between the first two blades of rotor 1a, we progress to 30 pounds per square inch between blades 2 and 3, and up to 60 pounds per square at the point where the air passes into conduit 29 at the combustion chamber. After combustion in this particular embodiment we obtain a pressure of 55 pounds per square inch for the gas as it enters rotor 1b, 50 pounds per square inch between the first and second blade of rotor 1b, gradually reducing to 16 pounds per square inch between the last two blades just before it enters the exhaust 46.

As suggested previously, our invention may operate on any form of hydrocarbon fuel known to those skilled in the art. The cycle of operation may be charatcerized as a constant pressure, a 4part diesel and part Brayton, or a combination of both depending on the fuel used and the pressures and temperatures. The electrical spark ignition is for the purpose of initiating the cycle only and once the engine is in operation it may be cut off thus obviating the need of any timed ignition system.

As in our previous invention of this class covered by Patent No. 3,240,017, the relative action of the inner and outer rotor is such as to produce the required action of the respective water spaces 27 and 44. Of course, the relative action, or rotative speed, of rotor 1 and rotor 2 are important, as in our previous invention but in this case the relative rotative speeds are relatively small. The rotation of rotor 1 combined with the water seal causes rotation of rotor 2 at a slightly lesser Velocity.

It will now be seen by those skilled in the art that this engine of our invention possesses all of the advantages enumerated above and eliminates many of the complications of previous engines of this type.

It should be further evident now to those skilled in the art that our invention while utilizing a piston expansion effect produced by the action of our water seal actually produces direct rotative motion and power inthe manner of a turbine without any of the disadvantages of either one and with all their advantages, including the elimination of troublesome wearing parts, temperature effect, valving problems, cooling, sealing, and others, as described above.

Of course, the device of our invention may be made to operate as a vapor compressor alone by utilizing only the compression section 1a alone. On the other hand, it may be made to operate as an engine alone by utilizing only the expansion section 1b alone. In the latter case, compressed air is supplied to the combustion chamber 39 from an independent source.

Many other advantages will also be apparent to those skilled in the art and while we have disclosed herein a preferred embodiment of our invention, many alterations and modifications thereof will likewise be evident to those skilled in the art without departing from our basic disclosure herein.

We claim:

1. A liquid sealed rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

a frame;

a frst outer rotor of generally hollow cylindrical construction having closed ends;

a second -inner rotor of generally cylindrical construction having a compression section and an expansion section in axially spaced relationship to each other;

said second rotor being positioned within said first ro- -tor so that their longitudinal axes are parallel to but eccentric with respect to each other;

said rotors being mounted on said frame in rotatable relation thereto and in rotatable relation to each other;

said compression section of said inner rotor comprising a first Spiro-helical screw;

said first screw having an outside diameter which is smaller at its first end than at its second end and having a pitch which is greater at said first end than at said second end;

said expansion section of said inner rotor comprising a second Spiro-helical screw;

said second screw having an outside diameter which is greater at its first end than at its sceond end and having a pitch which is smaller at its first end than at said second end;

a disc-shaped separating member fixedly positioned on said inner rotor and making geared contact with the interior surface of said outer rotor and located axially on said inner rotor in a radial plane;

means for supplying a iiow of liquid through the interior of said outer rotor at a predetermined rate;

means for effecting initial rotation of said inner rotor at a predetermined speed so that rotating motion is imparted to said liquid;

thereby causing said liquid to be forced outward against the inside surface of said outer rotor and producing `a plurality of pockets between the surface of said liquid and the root of said screw and along the helix thereof;

means for introducing air to said first end of said compression section;

means for removing said air from said second end of said compression section;

a combustion chamber;

means for introducing combustible fuel `to said combustion chamber;

means for introducing said air into said combustion chamber and effecting ignition of said combustible fuel;

means for removing the gases of combustion so formed from said'combustion chamber and introducing them to said first end of said expansion section;

means for exhausting said gases of combustion from said second end of said expansion section.

2. The engine of claim 1 in which said combustion chamber 'is positioned in the interior of said inner rotor and comprises: p

a plurality of inlet ports communicating with said second end of said compression section;

a plurality of outlet ports communicating with said first end of said expansion section;

a fuel inlet nozzle positioned within said chamber;

an electrical spark igniter positioned in close proximity to said inlet nozzle;

means for supplying combustible to said nozzle;

means for supplying electric current to said spark igniter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,336 11/1931 Abbott 230-79 1,843,311 2/1932 Abbott 230-79 2,136,528 11/1938 Stelzer 230-79 2,280,100 4/ 1942 Singleton 230-79 3,240,017 3/1966 Boissevain et al. 60-39.61

CARLTON R. CROYLE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 230-79 

